Sheet-glass-drawing machine.



'J. PLAYERL. SHEET GLASS DRAWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 190 8. BIT- HBWED JAN. 19, 1910.

' Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2 sums-sand 1.

J. PLAYER. SHEET GLASS DRAWING MACHINE. APPLIOATIORIILED AUG. 29', 1908. RENEWED JAN. 19,4910. 4 953,373, Patented Apr. 5;1910.

nwmtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'J'OHN PLAYER, or iuvnn. ro'nnsr, ILLInoIs.

sHnE'r-GLass-nnAwmG MACHINE.

Specification of Lettersra'ten Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

' Application'filed August 29', 1908, Serial No. 450,805. Renewed January 19, 1910. Serial No. 588,912.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, J OHN PLAYER, of River Forest, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Im rcvement in Sheet-Glass-Drawing Machlnes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

Thisinvention relates to the art of glass working, and more particularly to the art of drawing sheet glass.

As is well known in this art, when efforts are made to. draw glass in sheet form from a mass of olten glass, there is a constant tendency for the sheet to narrow or draw to a string or thread, and the ,object of the present invention is to overcome or counteract this/narrowing tendency of the sheet,'to the end that the sheet may be drawn of uniform width.

The invention is applicable either to drawing sheets of certaln' measured specified lengths or to .the continuous production of sheet glass. In the present instance, itis' illustrated in connection with a machine for the continuous production of sheet glass, butit is to be' understood that such showing is not to be taken as limiting the invention to continuous sheets.

The inventive idealinvolved may be embodied in a great variety of physical structures, one of'whichfor the purpose of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a planview of one form of my device for counteracting the narrowing of the sheet; Fi 2 is a' central section on the line II I I 0 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III -III of Fig. 1.; Fig.

Y 4 is a sectional detail;'Fig'. 5 is a brokendetail showing a sli htly different form of the gripping ends 0 the side holding device,

arts bein shown in section; and Fig. 6is a broken-.el evational detail showing my sideholding apparatus in position and operating in conjunction with a continuous sheet glass producing machine Referring to the drawings,i-n which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, 1 is a suitable base-plate rigidly sup- ,ported, as by brackets 2 (Fig.6). on the wall 3 of a glass-working chamber containing molten glass. Thereare two of these plates, one mounted on each side of the 1 working chamber and there are provided two of'the side-holding devices hereinafter described,-

these side-holding devices, however, is identical with the other, it will suffice to illustrate and describe oneof them.

Mounted on the plate 1 are lugs 4 formin bearings for a transverse pivot 5 aroun late 6 on its horizontal pivot 5 may be efected in any suitable way, and the angle of inclination of the plate 6 is determined by a screw 7 passing through the plate 6 and reacting against the plate 1. On the upper lug 8 having an opening therethrough in which slides a rod or bar 9 which is con- 11 fulcrumed at 12 to-a downwardly projecting ortion 6 of the late 6. By rocking the ever 11 upon its lcrum, the rod or bar 9 may be caused to slide inward or outward through the bearing 8, and when adjusted in the desired osition, the lever may be held in such positlbn by means of apin shaped disk 15 rigid with the lever, the pin the lug'16 upon-which the lever 11 is fulcrumed.

ried a laterally extending slide 17 shown in plan in Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 2. Mounted to turn on the vertical pivots 18, 18

.a peripheral groove 22 engaging a rib 23 Liz-(see Fig-14),; ontheupperside of each of- ""'the arms 19. 1 At its central portion the screw 21 is not/threaded and turns freely in bearing lugs 24:, 24, projecting upward from the rod or bar 9! Between the ngs 24, the

ing radial holes '26 -therein'within which may be inserted a suitable tool, as a simple rod- 27, for turning the screw shaft, and

13 projecting through holes 14 in an arc-' 13 projecting into a corresponding hole in (Fig. 1), secured to the slide 17, are two opv positely disposed arms 19, 19,'which on their shown, such means consist of a right and left-handed-screw 21, on each end of wh ch are nuts21", said nuts being provided wlth screw shaft has fast thereon a disk 25 'hav-' -thereby, causing the nuts 21', 21,v to ap-- which turns a plate 6. The rocking of the I side of the plate 6 is an upwardly projecting nected at its outer end by links 10 to a lever On the inner endof the bar 9, there is car-' proach toward or recede from each other, as the case maybe, with the result that the operative engaging ends of the lever arms 19 will recede from or approach each other, thereby adjusting the space that will intervene between the adjacent ends of these arms.

Preferably, the peripheral grooves 22 and the nuts 21- are wider than the rib23 on the lever-arms 19., so that there is more or lesslost motion, and there is interposed between each of the lugs 21. and "lever arms 19 a yielding member such as the coiled spring 28, which springs normally act to force the lever arms 19 as far apart as they will be permitted to move by the grooves in the nuts 21, 21'. These springs and the lost motion between the lever arms and the nuts permit a limitedamount of yielding .action at the operative ends 20, 20, of the lever arms, to permit these ends to accommodate.

themselves to any variations in the thickness of the edge portions of the sheet. These inwardly turned adjacent ends 20, 20, of the arms 19, 19, are designed to grasp the edge portionvof the sheet and hold it against the tendency to draw'inward in the well-- cure an efficient hold thereon, and thus counteract the tendency whichthe sheet of glass naturally has during the drawing operation to rapidly narrow. This is accomplished by reason of the fact that the sheet is held to full width by the holding ends 20, 20, of the lever arms, which as shown in Fig. 6, engage the sheet at the' formative point within a very short distance from the surface of the molten glass from which the sheet is drawn.-

By reason of the fact that the inner portions 20, 20, of the lever arms are inserted into the furnace in closeproximity to the highly heated molten glass, they would soon become heated to a temperature where they would have a tendency to stick to the sheet as it advanced upward between them; For the purpose of keeping down the tem erature of the said holding ends of the ever arms, any suitable coohng fiuid,,as'water,

may be circulated through the arms; With hollow, and

this object in view said armsare formed a small pipe 29 is inserted in each of said'arms, wh1ch pipes are'shown in dotted lines in F1gs.".1 and 2.'- These ipes extend nearly, but not quite, to the inner ends 20, 20, of the lever arms, and are connected at their outer endsto any suitable source of cooling fluid by the pipes 30. The

,action of two rolls 34 and pipes 20 and 29,* and after reaching the inner-end of said pipes'passes outward between saidpipes and the inner surface of the hollow arms 19, and is carried off through eduction pipes 31, Fi 2, to the sewer, or any other suitable place of discharge.

In the operation of my side-holding devices, two of said devices'are mounted one on each side of the working chamber or i'urnace containing thefmolten glass, with the inner ends of the'lever arms 19 in close proximity to the surface of the molten glass, and, a sheet of gla ss having been started and advanced by any suitable drawing means, the inner ends 20, 20, are'cau sed to lightly grasp the edge portions of the sheet just in- .side of the enlargement 32 on the immediate edge portion thereof,' the screw 21 holding the fingers in contact with the sheet, as described.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, my side-holding device is shown-in oaeration in connection Wliill a continuous gass-drawing machine,

cooling fluid passes inward through the I in which the sheet of glass 33 is continuously v advanced upward throu h; the cooperative 35 having roughened ends which grasp and advance the sheet, the said rolls being driven in any suitable manner, as by a worm 36 engaging a worm gear 37 on the shaft ofone ot' the.

rolls, the other roll being geared to said f In the operation of my device, there is no lateral stretching of the sheet, the inner ends 20, 20, of the lever arms 19, 19, simply operating to hold the sheet to the full width to which it is originally drawn, thus counteracting the narrowing tendency of the sheet without imparting any lateral stretch thereto. If desired, the inwardly projecting ends 20, 20, of the lever arms may be provided with anti-friction devices for holding the sheet.v one form of such anti-friction devices is shown in Fig. 5, in which 10, 1Q, are. anti-friction rolls' mounted upon the inwardly projecting ends 20, 20, oi thelever arms 19, said rolls 40, 40, preferably having their-edges which contact with the sheet beveled, as shown. at 41 insaid figure. In this construction the pipes 29 for conveying the coolingfluid conduct said fluid to the interior of the bearings for the anti-friction rolls 40, 40, to the end that said rolls may be kept at a temperature sufliciently low to revent them from sticking to the glass durmg the drawing operation. It will be readily understood that by rocking the plate 6 sired, and thus the position of the inner ends 20 of the lever arms with relation to the surface of the molten glass within the working chamber or receptacle may be adjusted, while by operating the lever 11 the said ends 2Q, 20, may beadvanced in or out of the working chamber to accommodate the device to diiferent widths of-the sheet of glass bein 'drawn.

arious modifications of the device as herein described will readily suggest themselves to those skilled'in the art. apparent that certain parts of the device may pairing the eificiency of the remaining parts,

. and all such modifications and changes-1n 9 g s I combination of means for drawing a sheet.

. of glass, with verticallyfadjustable width the device areintended to be included with in the appended claims. j

What I claim is zof glass, tinuously engaging the face of the sheet inside of its thickened edge portions.

2. In sheet glass drawing mechanism, the

of glass, with two oppositely disposed width; maintaining devices each continuously engaging'the face of the sheet inside of its thickened edg Porti ns.

3.. In sheet glass drawing mechanism, the combination of means for drawing a sheet maintaining means continuously engaging the face of the sheet, inside bf its thickened edge portions. I 4. In sheet glass drawing mechanism, the combination of meansfor drawing a sheet of glass, with horizontally adjustable width malntaining" means continuously gripping the edge portions of the sheet. 5. In sheet glassdrawing mechanism,'the

' combination of means for drawin a sheet of the sheet '68 87*In sheetiglass drawing mechanism, the l of glass, with yieldable width-maintaining devlces continuously en aging the opposite faces of each of the edge portions of the sheet. V l

6. In sheet glass drawing mechanism,-the

"combination of means for drawing a sheet of glass with a pair of lever arms whose oppositely disposed inner ends continuously engage the opposite faces of the edge portion of the-sheet during the drawing operation. r c

7.' In sheetw lass .drawing mechanism,the combination with means for-drawing a sheet of glass, of width-maintainingdevices, one engaging eac of the opposite edge portions during the drawing operation, each of said devices consisting of two levers adjustable to bring their respective innerlends into engagement with the edge portions of the sheet, and means securing'the' parts in such adjusted position.

It is also be omitted without in any way im-- 1. In sheet glass drawing mech'anism,'the combination of means for drawing a sheet. with width-maintaining means 0011- I combination 0 meanscombination of means for drawing a sheet of glass, with a/ pair of levers adjustable horizontally with relation to'the edgeof the sheet, and means rocking said levers'on their fulcrums to cause the endsof the levers to engageopposite faces of the edge portion of the sheet. 1

9. In sheet glass drawing mechanism, the combination of means for drawing a sheet of glass, with two pairs of lever fingers stationary during-the drawing operation, one

pair located at each edge of the sheet being drawn, v engaging the opposite faces ofthe edge portions' of the she tendency of the sheet is counteracted.

10. In sheet glass drawing mechanism, the combination of means for drawing a sheet of glass, means for overcoming the narrowing tendency of the sheet, which latter means consist of two pairs of lever fingers one pair operatively engaging the opposite faces of each of the edge portions of the sheet during the drawing operation, and means-for vertically and horizontally adjusting the lever fingers of each pair. 1 J 11. In sheet glass drawingmechanism, means for drawing a sheet of glass, combined with. two pairs of lever fingers one 'pair located in operative engagement with whereby the narrowing and the two members of each pair each of the edge portions of the sheet with said edge portion of the sheet passing between the ends of the lever fingers, and positive means for adjusting the operative ends of the lever fingers =-oward or from each other, whereby said fi gers may be adjusted for sheets of different thickness.

12. In sheet glass draw1ng mechanism, the

combination .of means for drawing a sheet of glass upward and width-maintaining devices engaging. each of the edge portions of the sheet for counter-acting the narrowing tendency of the sheet, each-of said devices consisting of a plate mounted to turn around a. horizontal axis,- a slide mounted on said means for cooling said finger-levers,

14. In sheet glassdrawing mechanism, .the

combination of means for drawing a sheet of glass and sheet width-maintaining devices conslsting of two pa rs of v hollow specification in the presence of two subfing'er-lcyers the members of'each'pair 0E t e scribing witnesses.

eratively 'engagin the opposite faces of edge portions of she sheet during the draw-' ing operation, and means'for circulating a 5 cooling fluid 7 through said hollow fingerlevers. j

1 In testimony whereof I have signed this. 3

, JOHN PLAYER.

Witnesses: J. D. YOAKLEY,

S. T. CAMERON. 

